This invention relates to an improved alternate for existing type pegboard structures, that is, the type of structure in which a wood composition board with a plurality of holes provided therein is vertically mounted on a surface for the receipt of hook and peg members which extend into the holes and whereby articles may be supported from the forwardly projecting portions thereof. The wallboard portions of such systems are commonly referred to as pegboard while the devices generally formed from generally circular metal rod stock that extend into the pegboard openings and which support articles thereon are commonly referred to as hook and peg devices. Such mounting devices include a peg portion which in most cases is in the form of a pair of laterally-spaced fingers which are adapted to extend through a pair of adjacently spaced openings in the pegboard and a hook or rod normally integrally connected to the fingers which extend outwardly from the board surface and on which articles are adapted to be suspended or supported. For purposes of clarity, the fingers or hooks which extend into the holes of the board will be referred to as xe2x80x9chooksxe2x80x9d and the hooks or rod supporting means outwardly extending from the board surface will be referred to as the support rod, element or more generally a forward projecting member.
The above referred to hook and rod assemblies are widely available in either of two alternative thickness dimensions of xe2x85x9 inch or xc2xc inch diameter. There are, accordingly, vast numbers of these hook and rod assemblies in existencexe2x80x94most of which are not in use simply because the pegboard on which they were originally mounted has deteriorated, has been discarded for reasons of inconvenience or unsightliness or not worth removing when the owner moves to a new location. The owner normally is hesitant to discard the perfectly good hook and rod mounting devices and thus a huge inventory of these devices await productive use.
A common pegboard type and the hook and rod devices supported thereon is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present application. There are a significant number of alternate or related constructions including that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,128 to Massey in which the hook and rod device is of two separable parts, that is, the peg portion being retained in the pegboard when the rod portion is removed or exchanged. In addition, it is common to form the peg portion of such two-part systems in a variety of ways to receive separate hook or hanger mechanisms such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,325; 4,726,554 and 4,026,508. Other systems wherein the board openings take on various forms as dictated by the shape of the hooks or fingers adapted to extend therein such as that system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,976 are common. Other variations of a pegboard assembly include retaining means for the hook and peg devices that extend rearwardly of the pegboards such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,517.
In addition to the above structures set forth in the above-recited patents, there are pegboard related systems such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,824 to St. Clair that present hanger mechanisms configured to attach to mounting plates in such a fashion that a more stable lateral positioning is achieved, that is, the hanger is materially prevented from undesirably swinging laterally back and forth with respect to the mounting plate. U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,824 accomplishes such lateral positioning by receiving a portion of the hanger rod within a reduced diameter V-hole slot while that the construction shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,370 accomplishes the same objective by fixing the hanger position by contact with two rearwardly spaced openings.
In light of the above, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a better, stronger and longer lasting replacement for standard pegboards. A further object of the present invention is to provide a pegboard replacement that more stably supports the hook and peg device associated therewith. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved pegboard replacement that accommodates the alternate sized hook and peg assemblies presently available such that the large existing inventory of such devices can be utilized. A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved mounting device for receiving the presently existing shapes and sizes of hook and peg assemblies which mounting assembly is relatively inexpensive but long lasting and aesthetically attractive.
These and other objects are accomplished by a pegboard assembly for use in combination with hook and rod devices of the type having a connecting portion including a pair of laterally spaced rearwardly extending hooks each terminating in an upwardly extending finger and an article supporting portion including a forwardly projecting member connected at its base with said connecting portion and adapted to forwardly extend from the surface on which said device is mounted so as to enable articles to be supported thereby, said assembly comprising a body including a generally vertically oriented base adapted to contact a vertical supporting surface for attachment thereto, a generally vertically oriented face plate connected to said base and spaced forwardly thereof, and a generally horizontally oriented top plate disposed rearwardly of the top edge of said front plate, both said front plate and said top plate having a plurality of laterally spaced holes wherein vertically adjacent holes of both said plates are generally aligned with each other for receipt of the hooks of one of said hook and rod devices, said top plate opening including a forwardly disposed finger contacting peripheral edge surface wherein each of the hook fingers extend rearwardly through a face plate opening and then upwardly through the adjacent top plate opening so as to contact portions of the contact edge surface of said top plate opening at two laterally spaced locations thereby positioning said hook finger with respect to said assembly.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.